The present invention relates generally to a sod or turf harvesting machine, and more particularly to a harvester which is equipped with an endless conveyor having belt flight configuring means for continuously initiating, rolling, and discharging rolled turf or sod from the harvester structure. In this connection, the apparatus of the present invention includes a harvester device having a wheeled frame with opposed front and rear ends, and with a cutterhead mounted at the forward end, and a sod receiving wind-up saddle at the rear end. The endless conveyor passes between the ends along the length of the device, with the front end portion of the conveyor functioning to pick up cut sod from the cutterhead and the remainder functioning to transport and roll the cut sod, with the rear of the endless conveyor having drive means which functions with the components performing the winding operation. The top flight of the conveyor passing adjacent to said front end for receiving cut sod directly from the cutterhead, with the top flight extending and traveling rearwardly of the cutterhead for elevating, transporting and ultimately winding cut sod within the wind-up saddle. The path of the top flight of the conveyor belt along the rear of the machine is configured so as to actually form adjustable or expandable saddle walls as the sod rolls are being formed directly on and expanding within the configured belt. Flight supporting cylinders and platens against which the belt travels are mounted on an adjustably pivotably movable rear belt support arm, the support arm being controllably and adjustably positioned to define the configuration of the wind-up saddle and its roll confining walls, the walls being movable to adjustably control the operating width or jaw of the wind-up saddle. Additionally, the rear belt supporting arms comprise a mounting frame which is controllably positionable so as to permit the rear support to open to a flat disposition and thus enable the discharge of individual finished rolls of sod from the apparatus. With the conveyor configured in the roll discharge position, the rolls are discharged directly onto the surface.
Sod harvesting machines of the invention are provided for cutting and rolling sod for later transport from the sod farm to an appropriate destination where the rolls are to be ultimately deposited to form live turf. The harvesting machine is designed to cut and roll the sod in one continuous operation, and is also provided with means to cover the cut sod with a protective film of plastic or netting in order to protect the roll from the ambient and enhance its stability.
In the past, sod harvesting machines with multiple conveyors and wind-up mechanisms have been utilized, with these devices normally being highly complex and cumbersome, and with certain operations requiring intensive hand labor. The present arrangement reduces the necessity for a variety of systems and subsystems normally required, and provides a wind-up mechanism featuring a saddle which facilitates in-line rolling, wrapping, and discharging of rolls onto the adjacent surface for later pick up. The arrangement is designed for use with minimum of manual intervention. The harvesting machine is typically attached to a towing vehicle such as a tractor by means of a three-point hitch and may be operated by either a single operator or a pair of operators.
The wind-up portion of the winding mechanism comprises the rear section of the conveyor belt, with this section being configured in a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d to form the initial sod receiving saddle portion of the mechanism. The saddle includes a pair of laterally spaced apart normally upwardly directed or extending rear saddle arms. The arms are positioned to provide a conveyor belt path to create the wind-up saddle and bed. In the wind-up mode, the entire wind-up bed is of an initial generally closed xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shape configuration with the base of the saddle being disposed at or adjacent the low-point of the conveyor flight. The base or bed of the saddle has an axis arranged generally transverse to the frame axis. The portion of the conveyor belt driving segment in the saddle zone includes at least one drive member such as a driven cylinder sprocket functioning as the conveyor drive and with a plurality of belt supporting idlers and guide platens also being provided in the saddle zone. Each cylinder and platen is mounted within the wind-up saddle transversely of the saddle arms for guiding and supporting the endless belt and otherwise controllably delineating the travel path of the top flight of the conveyor. The conveyor carries lengths of incoming cut sod into the saddle zone where it is helically wound into rolls and discharged from the rear end onto the ground.
The upwardly extending rear saddle arms are pivotally coupled at their lower ends to the frame. Actuating means are coupled to the arms for coordinated selective and adjustable pivotal rotation of the arms relative to the frame. The controlled pivotal rotation provides motion between closed and opened saddle dispositions, this motion controllably enlarging the size of the wind-up bed while cut sod is continuously being received and wound and thereby growing helically. Sod cut-off means are disposed directly ahead of the cutterhead and provided with actuating means for periodically severing the sod so that incoming cut sod is formed in rolls of defined lengths. When a given defined length of incoming cut sod has passed along the conveyor and completed its wind-up operation within the device, the actuating means for the rear saddle arms are further extended rearwardly and dropped flat to provide the conveyor with an open tailgate configuration for controlled discharge and dropping of the finished roll onto the surrounding ground.
A layer of netting or film may be applied to the sod as it is being helically wound into a roll, with the netting or film being provided from a supply roll positionably mounted within the saddle assembly. Means are provided for unwinding and guiding the film from the supply roll into contact with the sod being formed into helically wound rolls and for periodically severing the unwound film into appropriate lengths whenever the roll-up operation for a given roll is complete. For most purposes, the netting or film is applied to the outer layers of the helically wound material, it being unnecessary to cover the entire surfaces of the roll with such netting or film.
One of the valuable features of the present invention is the utilization of the top flight of the conveyor to function as a transport mechanism, a wind-up saddle defining mechanism, as well as an unloading or roll discharge mechanism. In its roll-up or winding configuration, the conveyor belt makes contact with the sod along a sufficiently large surface area so as to create the friction necessary for the initial start of the wind-up operation about a central cylindrical core which has already been dropped into the saddle zone. Furthermore, as the mass and size of the roll about the core increases, the area of contact between the sod and the belt surface may decrease, but given the force created by the increased weight and friction, the wind-up operation continues to move smoothly. In other words, the top flight of the single conveyor first elevates the sod to a high point or apex, then proceeds in a downward declining path to the saddle where the belt reaches a second point of inflection and commences an upward direction of travel. This second point of inflection is where the sod roll-up operation is initiated. When the winding operation is completed, the roll is dropped from the machine and discharged onto the ground surface. These functions are all performed sequentially and smoothly by the single conveyor mat or flight as the harvester machine continues to move forwardly bringing in more cut sod for the roll-up operation.
The adjustably movable support arms which serve to delineate, define and guide the conveyor belt in the wind-up saddle zone are capable of pivotal movement to controllably expand the operating width of the wind-up saddle zone. Thus, as the helical wind-up operation progresses, the diameter of the resultant roll increases until the roll reaches its maximum size as determined by the predetermined cut length. Once this stage of the operation has been reached, the pivotal rotational motion of the upwardly extending saddle arms drops the conveyor belt supporting arms to substantially horizontal but descending position with the conveyor belt continuing to advance and function. When the saddle is moved to the open disposition, the downward slope of the belt together with continued belt motion carries the roll to a roll-out position whereupon it is permitted to roll freely off the arms such as in the fashion of an open downwardly inclined tailgate.
There is an optional core-dispenser attached to the system which loads roll cores onto the conveyor whereupon the sod will preferably be initially wrapped around the core during the actual wind-up operation.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved sod harvester which incorporates in a single mechanism a sod cutter or cutters, a wind-up mechanism and an unloading means, all operable with minimal manual intervention and as the machine moves forwardly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved sod harvesting mechanism which incorporates a continuously variable width saddle zone for receiving, initiating, rolling, and ultimately discharging rolled freshly cut turf therefrom, the width of the saddle zone being delineated by a conveyor flight which is pivotally moveable to guide and roll the freshly cute turf.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved sod harvesting apparatus which incorporates a net or film applicator which supplies netting onto the cut sod during the roll-up operation as deemed helpful for the operation.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a continuously adjustably pivotable conveyor for initiating, rolling, and discharging rolled turf, wherein means are provided for chopping or cutting sod into predetermined lengths prior to rolling for delivering finished rolls of turf or sod with a predetermined overall turf area.
Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.